Treasurer: no voting conditions on $1m Kandanga land gift

GYMPIE council may have to find $4, but that is the only hidden cost of a huge good will gesture the State Government made to the Mary Valley yesterday.

Four significant blocks of land, to be transferred to the community, will provide new flood-free homes for the bowls club and swimming pool and give the town a permanent sports training and festival space.

They will also provide canoe tourist access to what Friends of Kandanga chairman David Sims says is the beautiful but until now hidden Kandanga Creek weir.

The camping area and Main St Tourist Information Centre will have permanent homes.

Treasurer Tim Nicholls travelled from Brisbane to Kandanga yesterday where he was joined by LNP Gympie candidate Tony Perrett.

They jointly announced the sale of the land to Gympie Regional Council for community purposes, at a total cost of $4.

A delighted Mr Sims said the properties, purchased for the failed Traveston Crossing dam proposal, would also provide a turnaround area for the Mary Valley Rattler in the future.

"They crucified this town all those years ago," Mr Sims said. "But now, everything is go for Kandanga.

"There are people who want to open the coffee shop again and the council will give us a 10-year lease on the information centre site."

Mr Perrett complimented Mr Sims on his hard work lobbying the government.

And Mr Nicholls paid similar respect to the lobbying efforts of Mr Perrett.

Both politicians stressed the deal was binding and had no strings attached.

On a day when the LNP copped a blast for "political blackmail" in Ipswich, offering benefits which would only be honoured if the LNP candidate was elected, Mr Nicholls and Mr Perrett emphasised Kandanga would get the land no matter what.

Mr Perrett said every effort was being made to ensure that conveyancing of the properties into Gympie Regional Council ownership, for community purposes, would be completed before the election on Saturday week.

Mr Nicholls said that after the disruption caused by the dam it was important "to restore certainty over the use of recreational and sporting facilities''.

"It's really encouraging to see the community being revitalised with new residents and businesses calling the area home," he said.

Mr Perrett said he was pleased the government had listened to council submissions on the issue.